Inevitably, given the celebrations around the tenth anniversary of Fashion East's MAN initiative, its alumni have come under particular scrutiny this season. Some have forged spectacular career trajectories (notably JW Anderson and Kim Jones), some have fallen by the wayside, and some have simply continued to evolve at a comparatively low-key pace.
Low-key isn't a note you'd immediately associate with Katie Eary; she first made her mark fresh from college, with an engagingly bloody Animal Farm tableau at the first ever London menswear day in 2009. Since then, she's made pieces for Lady Gaga and collaborated with Kanye West, whilst continuing to whip out high-octane, reliably catchy collections season after season. This time around, My Little Pony provided the inspiration, splashed across t-shirts, shirts, and wide-cut shorts in frosted ombré swathes of bubblegum pink, lilac, and turquoise. Being Eary, it wasn't entirely sugar-coated – pre-show, she'd tweeted the hashtag #cockabilly, and her cartoon creatures came weighted down with surprisingly substantial erections. It provided a characteristic note of playful shock, and will no doubt keep her followers and customers entertained. Did it live up to the promise of her MAN debut? Perhaps not. But it's hard not to applaud someone so willing to bring humour and cheeky wit to the serious business of menswear.
(Re)discover the Fall/Winter 2015 menswear collection right here.
